'Till I again fee mine.

Baff. Sweet Portia,

If you did know to whom I gave the ring,
If you did know for whom I gave the ring,
And would conceive for what I
gave the ring,
And how unwillingly I left the ring,

When nought would be accepted but the ring,
You would abate the ftrength of your difpleasure.
Por. If you had known the virtue of the ring,
Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,
Or your own honour to retain the ring,

You would not then have parted with the ring.
What man is there fo much unreasonable,

If you

had pleas'd to have defended it

With any terms of zeal, wanted the modefty
Το urge the thing held as a ceremony?
Neriffa teaches me what to believe;

I'll die for't, but fome woman had the ring,
Baff. No, by mine honour, madam, by my foul,
No woman had it, but a Civil Doctor,

Who did refufe three thousand ducats of me,
And begg'd the ring; the which I did deny him,
And fuffer'd him to go difpleas'd away;

Ev'n he, that did uphold the very life

Of my dear friend. What fhould I fay, sweet Lady? I was enforc'd to fend it after him;

I was befet with fhame and courtesy;

My honour would not let ingratitude

So much befmear it. Pardon me, good Lady,
And by these bleffed candles of the night,

Had you been there, I think, you would have begg'd

The ring of me, to give the worthy Doctor.

Por. Let not that Doctor e'er come near my house,

Since he hath got the jewel that I lov'd,

And that which you did fwear to keep for me:
I will become as liberal as you;

I'll not deny him any thing I have,

No, not my body, nor my husband's bed;
Know him 1 fhall, I am well fure of it.

Lye not a night from home; watch me, like Argus :

If you do not, if I be left alone,

Now, by mine honour, which is yet my own,
I'll have that Doctor for my bedfellow.

Ner. And I his clerk; therefore be well advis'd,
How you do leave me to mine own protection.
Gra. Well, do you fo; let me not take him then;
For if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen.

Ant. I am th' unhappy fubject of these quarrels. Por. Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome, notwithftanding.

Baff. Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong.
And in the hearing of thefe many friends,
I swear to thee, ev'n by thine own fair eyes,
Wherein I see myself.

Por. Mark you but that!

In both mine eyes he doubly fees himself;
In each eye, one; fwear by your double self,
And there's an oath of credit!

Baff. Nay, but hear me :

Pardon this fault, and by my foul I swear,
I never more will break an oath with thee,

Ant. I once did lend my body for his weal; (32)
Which but for him, that had your husband's ring,
[To Portia.
Had quite mifcarry'd. I dare be bound again,
My foul upon the forfeit, that your Lord
Will never more break faith advisedly.

Por. Then you fhall be his furety; give him this, And bid him keep it better than the other.

Ant. Here, Lord Baffanio, fwear to keep this ring. Baff. By heav'n, it is the fame I gave the Doctor. Por. I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio; For by this ring the Doctor lay with me. Ner. And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano,

(32) my body for his wealth;] I have ventur'd, against the authority of the copies, to fubftitute weal here; i. e. for his welfare, benefit. Wealth has a more confin'd fignification. Tho' I must own, that weal and wealth in our author's time might be in fome meature fynonomous; as they are now in the words, common-weal, and commonwealth.

For

For that fame fcrubbed boy, the Doctor's clerk,
In lieu of this, laft night did lye with me.

Gra. Why, this is like the mending of high-ways
In fummer, where the ways are fair enough:
What! are we cuckolds, ere we have deferv'd it?
Por. Speak not fo grofly; you are all amaz'd;
Here is a letter, read it at your leisure;

It comes from Padua, from Bellario:

There you shall find, that Portia was the Doctor;
Neriffa there, her clerk. Lorenzo, here,

Shall witnefs I fet forth as foon as you,
And even but now return'd: I have not yet
Enter'd my houfe. Anthonio, you are welcome;
And I have better news in ftore for you,

Than
you expect; unfeal this letter foon,
There you fhall find, three of your Argofies
Are richly come to harbour fuddenly.

You fhall not know by what ftrange accident
I chanced on this letter.

Ant. I am dumb.

Baff. Were you the Doctor, and I knew you not? Gra. Were you the clerk, that is to make me cuckold? Ner. Ay, but the clerk, that never means to do it, Unless he live until he be a man.

Baff. Sweet Doctor, you shall be my bedfellow; When I am abfent, then lye with my wife.

Ant. Sweet Lady, you have giv'n me life and living; For here I read for certain, that my ships

Are fafely come to road.

Por. How now, Lorenzo?

My clerk hath fome good comforts too for you.
Ner. Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee.
There do I give to you and Jeffica,

From the rich Jew, a fpecial Deed of Gift,
After his death, of all he dies poffefs'd of.

Lor. Fair Ladies, you drop Manna in the way
Of starved people.

Por. It is almoft morning,

And yet, I'm fure, you are not fatisfy'd
Of thefe events at full. Let us go in,

VOL. II.

H

And

And charge us there upon interr'gatories,
And we will answer all things faithfully.
Gra. Let it be fo: the firft interr'g
r'gatory,
That my Neriffa fhall be fworn on, is,
Whether 'till the next night she had rather stay,
Or go to bed now, being two hours to day.
But were the day come, I fhould wish it dark,
"Till I were couching with the Doctor's clerk.
Well, while I live, I'll fear no other thing
So fore, as keeping fafe Neriffa's ring.

[Exeunt omnes.

XXX

LOVE'S